The touters of Beaujolais have become so adept at finding upbeat euphemisms for vintages both good and bad that they have become easy to ignore. So when news filtered in that the 2009s were amazingly good, after one of those perfect growing seasons without pestilence or stress, it was worth waiting to taste the wines in the bottle to be sure.

Not everyone waited, of course. The excitement was such that importers were swamped with orders for cru Beaujolais - the top wines made from one of 10 specific areas. Beaujolais, long ignored as a serious wine, is en fuego this year.

The good news is that the wines are pretty stellar, if big and needing some breathing space and time. The 13 percent alcohol quoted on most labels is almost surely shy of the truth, but the one big worry - that the wines would be too ripe - isn't cause for concern.

These wines taste like themselves, in slightly more muscular iterations - the Charles Atlas versions of Beaujolais.

2009 Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorées Cote-de-Brouilly ($22); Brun's well-known wines display juiciness in this vintage. A dusty mineral character leads off, followed by damp earth, radiant red cherry and watermelon, and a seamlessness to the tannins. Its depth is revealed after about 20 minutes in the glass. (Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections)

2009 Coudert Pere et Fils Clos de la Roilette Fleurie ($22): Roilette, grown in clay and manganese soils near the edge of Moulin-a-Vent, is especially meaty and powerful, in need of a couple of years to fully show itself. Dense, heady stuff, filled with leather and sachet, ripe boysenberry and a firm mineral backbone. (Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections)

2009 Chateau de Raousset Chiroubles ($13): This is Raousset's effort from its home terroir in the lesser-known Chiroubles appellation. Takes time to open, but there's warm baking spice and cool huckleberry and watermelon. Slightly brooding and chewy, but great structure. (Importer: Jeanne-Marie de Champs/Wine House Ltd.)

2009 Nicole Chanrion Domaine de la Voute des Crozes Cote-de-Brouilly ($20): Chanrion's bottling is always a benchmark for Cote-de-Brouilly, and the '09 is a standout. Rooty and deep aromas, with loam, moist bark and morel amid rich black cherry and bramble fruit. A dense, concentrated effort, with lots of backbone that should make it even better in three to five years. (Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant)

2009 Georges Duboeuf Chateau des Capitans Julienas ($19): Say what you will about Duboeuf, his top wines in a year like this are impressive. From a property co-owned with his U.S. importer, this is fine-boned and earthy, with lots of plum fruit and a pleasant herbal bite. (Importer: W.J. Deutsch & Sons)

2009 Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent ($20): Jadot's Jacques is always a powerful expression of Beaujolais, and this wine displays enormous richness and earthy depth, almost like a Pommard. Lavish black cherry and plum skin, with impressive tannic weight and a bouillon-like accent, plus a fresh floral note. Powerful now, but will improve for a good five to seven years. (Importer: Kobrand)

2009 Marcel Lapierre Morgon($24): What a fitting last full vintage for Lapierre, who died in October. This is classic Lapierre, in a slightly larger costume - full of earthy dark fruit, marionberry highlights, orange peel and an earthy oyster mushroom accent. It still needs a good six months to soften its muscles, but the power and potential is clear. (Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant)